Cairo Remembers

The Kasr El-Nil Bridge was deserted yesterday on the fifth anniversary of the Egyptian revolution. This photograph published in the local press today shows it as it was during the revolution when people set out for Tahrir Square to make their voices known.

Many think the revolution is lost. The British Ambassador, John Casson, published a piece today in which he said he was not so sure. It takes time to see the results of revolutions and the hoped for benefits of this one are still there for the taking. His words chime with much of what I have written on Egypt in the last five years, including yesterday. The Ambassador writes:

'In 2011, Egypt produced fearless heroes who taught us important lessons. They showed that Egyptians themselves can and should define the future of their country. They shone a spotlight on problems too long ignored: declining government services, corruption and economic inequality, a lack of accountability for political decisions and security actions. They rejected the paternalism of those who say that freedom and justice are for other continents, but not suitable for Arabs and Egyptians. These lessons hold true today. The countries that succeed in the 21st century will be those that empower their people as the engine of the future, instead of seeing them as a burden or a threat. Security is vital but it cannot come at the expense of modernisation or peoples' rights, or it will fail . . . in 2011, as now, the future lies in Egytpians' hands.'

PS
The bridge was built by Dorman Long of England who also constructed the Sydney Harbour Bridge.